# Blepharoplasty (Eyelid Surgery) in Istanbul, Turkey

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By Muhsin Yilmaz, MD, FEBOPRAS · Medically reviewed September 2026

Blepharoplasty is surgery on the eyelids: removing the skin that hoods the upper lid, and correcting the fat and the lax support that make the lower lid look tired. It is one of the operations I perform most often, on its own and as part of a facelift plan — and it is also one of the most over-prescribed, because heavy brows and fallen cheeks are frequently mistaken for an eyelid problem.

- **Surgery:** 1–3 hours
- **Hospital stay:** Day case
- **In Istanbul:** ~7 days
- **Socially presentable:** ~2 weeks

## What Blepharoplasty Is

Blepharoplasty is eyelid surgery. On the upper lid it removes the excess skin, and where needed a strip of muscle and a small amount of herniated fat, so that the lid crease is visible again and the eye is no longer hooded. On the lower lid it corrects the fat that bulges forward as the retaining structures weaken, the hollow that appears beneath it, and the laxity of the lid itself. The two operations share a name and almost nothing else: they are different incisions, different planes and different risks, and they are planned separately even when I perform them in the same session.

The aim is not a changed eye. It is the same eye, rested — which is why I plan eyelid surgery against your own photographs from years before rather than against an ideal shape.

## Upper Blepharoplasty

Upper eyelid surgery is performed through an incision placed in the natural crease of the lid, where the healed scar sits hidden when the eye is open. Through it I remove the skin that has become excess, preserve the fat that gives the upper lid its fullness unless it is genuinely herniated, and close the lid so that the crease sits where it belongs for your face.

The commonest mistake in upper lid surgery is removing too much: a lid stripped of skin and fat reads as hollow and older, and it cannot be undone. The second commonest is operating on the lid when the problem is the brow — which is the subject of the next section but one.

## Lower Blepharoplasty

Lower eyelid surgery is the more demanding of the two. The bulge under the eye is fat that has come forward; the shadow below it is where the cheek has fallen away. Removing the fat alone flattens the bulge and deepens the hollow, which is why I reposition the fat over the rim rather than simply excising it wherever the anatomy allows, and add [fat grafting](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/facial-fat-transfer) where the hollow needs volume rather than movement.

Where there is no skin excess, the lower lid can be approached from inside the lid, leaving no external incision. Where skin has to come out, the incision sits just beneath the lashes. In either case the support of the lid matters more than the fat: a lower lid that is already lax will sag further after surgery unless its outer corner is supported in the same operation, which is what a canthopexy is for — described on the [almond eye surgery](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/almond-eye-surgery) page.

## What Eyelid Surgery Cannot Do

Blepharoplasty treats the lid. It does not lift the brow, it does not raise the cheek, and it does not remove the dark circle that comes from thin skin or pigment rather than from shadow.

That matters because the three commonest reasons an eye looks tired are not all eyelid problems. A heavy upper lid is often a descended brow, and operating on the lid instead leaves the brow lower still — the correct operation there is a [brow lift](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/brow-lift) or a [temporal lift](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/temporal-lift). A hollow under the eye is often a fallen midface, and the operation that corrects it is a [midface lift](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/midface-lift) or the midface component of a [deep plane facelift](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/deep-plane-facelift). I say this on the page because the patients who are disappointed by eyelid surgery are usually the ones who had it for a problem it was never going to reach.

## Who It Suits

Upper lid surgery suits someone whose lid skin rests on the lashes or blocks the outer field of vision, with a brow that still sits where it should. Lower lid surgery suits someone with a visible fat bulge, a hollow beneath it, or lid skin that has loosened — and who understands that the shadow will improve rather than vanish.

The health requirements are those of any facial surgery. Dry eye, thyroid eye disease, previous eyelid or laser surgery and a lower lid that is already lax all change the plan and sometimes rule the operation out; I ask about them before I propose anything. [What I look for in your photographs](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/am-i-a-candidate) is set out plainly.

## Eyelid Surgery as Part of a Facelift Plan

Most of my eyelid surgery is performed in the same operation as a facelift, and that is not a coincidence: the eye area ages in parallel with the midface, and a rejuvenated lower face beside heavy, tired eyes looks mismatched. Operating on both together also lets me plan the lower lid against its new cheek position rather than its old one, which is not possible when the operations are months apart.

When eyelid surgery is part of a facelift, the facelift's operating time, hospital stay and recovery apply — the eyelids add very little to either. How I decide what to combine, and where I stop, is on [combining facial procedures](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/combination-facial-procedures).

## How the Operation Is Done

Eyelid surgery on its own is performed under local anaesthesia with sedation, as a day case; as part of a facelift it is performed under the same general anaesthetic. I mark the lids with you sitting upright before anything else happens, because skin behaves differently lying down. The incisions are closed with fine sutures that are removed early, and you leave with cool compresses and instructions rather than dressings over the eyes.

What the day itself looks like, from admission to the recovery room, is on [your surgery timeline](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/your-surgery-timeline).

## Results

A good eyelid result is one that reads as rest rather than surgery: the crease visible, the lower lid smooth into the cheek, the shape of the eye unchanged. Every case in my [results gallery](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/results) lists the full combination of procedures performed, and most of the facelift cases there include upper and lower blepharoplasty — so you can see what the eyes contribute inside a whole-face plan rather than in isolation.

[See before & after results](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/results)

## Recovery

Eyelid swelling and bruising are at their most obvious in the first days and settle quickly compared with facelift surgery; most patients are presentable sooner than they expect, and sunglasses cover what is left. Blurred vision from ointment, watering, dryness and a gritty feeling are normal early and improve as the lids settle. Sleeping with the head elevated and avoiding straining matter more for the eyelids than almost anywhere else, because bleeding behind the eye is the complication that has to be avoided.

The full week-by-week course, including what is normal and what to report the same hour, is in the [facelift recovery guide](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/facelift-recovery); it applies to eyelid surgery within a facelift plan and, in outline, to eyelid surgery alone.

## Risks, Plainly

The risks of eyelid surgery are dry eye and irritation, which are common early and settle; bruising and swelling; asymmetry between the two sides; scarring; and, on the lower lid, rounding of the outer corner or pulling of the lid away from the eye, which is why lid support is assessed before surgery rather than after. Bleeding behind the eye is rare and is the reason for the restrictions in the first days — sudden pain, swelling and loss of vision are reported immediately, not at the next appointment. Over-resection of skin or fat is the risk that is hardest to correct, and it is the one I plan most conservatively against.

## How Long It Lasts

Upper eyelid surgery lasts well: the skin that was removed does not come back, and most patients never need it again. Lower lid surgery changes the fat and the support, and those results are durable too — but the brow keeps descending and the midface keeps falling, so an eye that looks tired again after some time usually needs a different operation rather than a repeat of this one. I do not attach a number of years to eyelid surgery, and I would be cautious of anyone who does.

## What Decides the Cost

The cost of blepharoplasty follows what is actually planned: upper lids alone, lower lids alone, all four, whether fat is repositioned or grafted, whether the lower lid needs support, and whether the operation is performed on its own under sedation or inside a facelift under general anaesthesia. After I have reviewed your photographs you receive an itemised quote for your own plan. How quotes are built and how to compare them safely is on the [cost page](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/deep-plane-facelift-cost).

## Frequently Asked Questions

**What is blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery?**

Blepharoplasty is surgery on the eyelids: removing the excess skin that hoods the upper lid, and correcting the fat, the hollow and the laxity that make the lower lid look tired. Upper and lower lid surgery share a name but are different operations with different incisions and different risks.

**What is the difference between upper and lower blepharoplasty?**

Upper blepharoplasty removes skin, and sometimes a little muscle and fat, through an incision hidden in the lid crease. Lower blepharoplasty addresses the fat that bulges forward, the hollow beneath it and the support of the lid itself, through an incision inside the lid or just beneath the lashes. Lower lid surgery is the more demanding of the two.

**Will eyelid surgery lift my eyebrows?**

No. Blepharoplasty treats the lid, not the brow. If a heavy upper lid is caused by a descended brow — which is common — the operation that corrects it is a brow lift or a temporal lift, and eyelid surgery alone would leave the brow lower still.

**Will blepharoplasty remove my dark circles?**

Partly, and only where the darkness is shadow cast by a fat bulge or a hollow. Where it comes from thin skin or pigment, surgery does not remove it, and I say so before rather than after. Repositioning fat and adding volume improve the shadow; skin quality is treated separately.

**Are the scars visible?**

The upper lid incision sits in the natural crease and is hidden when the eye is open. On the lower lid, an approach from inside the lid leaves no external scar at all; where skin has to be removed, the incision sits just beneath the lashes. Healing varies from person to person, and early redness settles.

**Can eyelid surgery be done with a facelift?**

Yes — that is how I perform most of it. The eye area and the midface age together, and operating on both in one session lets me plan the lower lid against its new cheek position. The eyelids add very little to the operating time or the recovery of a facelift.

**When can I sleep on my side after blepharoplasty?**

Not in the early period. I ask you to sleep on your back with your head elevated while the swelling is settling, because pressure and dependency make it worse, and I tell you at your check when you can stop. This is one of the rules I go through in person rather than leaving to a leaflet.

**How long does blepharoplasty last?**

Upper lid surgery lasts well and is rarely repeated, because the skin removed does not return. Lower lid results are durable too, but the brow and the midface go on descending, so a tired-looking eye later usually needs a different operation rather than a second blepharoplasty. I do not promise a number of years.

**Is eyelid surgery covered by insurance?**

Cosmetic eyelid surgery is not. Upper lid surgery is sometimes covered where the skin obstructs the field of vision and the criteria of a particular insurer are met — those criteria are set by your insurer, not by me, and international patients travelling to Istanbul are almost always self-funding. I provide an itemised written quote either way.

**How much does blepharoplasty cost in Turkey?**

There is no single price, because there is no single operation — upper, lower or all four lids, fat repositioned or grafted, alone under sedation or inside a facelift under general anaesthesia. After I have reviewed your photographs you receive an itemised quote for the plan that fits your face.

## Start Your Assessment

**Send photographs of your eyes open, closed and looking up.** Over WhatsApp or through the form — you will receive my initial assessment of whether the problem is the lid, the brow or the cheek, a proposed plan, an expected length of stay and an itemised quote before anything is arranged.

[Request a personal review](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/contact) [See before & after results](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/results)

*Every enquiry is reviewed personally by Dr. Yilmaz; scheduling is handled by the patient coordination team.*

## About Dr. Muhsin Yilmaz

Written and medically reviewed by Muhsin Yilmaz, MD, FEBOPRAS — Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeon. Last reviewed: September 2026.

Dr. Muhsin Yilmaz is a **double board-certified plastic surgeon**, holding the FEBOPRAS diploma of the European Board of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery and the certification of the Turkish Board of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, and practises in Istanbul, Türkiye. His practice is focused on facial and neck rejuvenation, centred on the deep plane facelift — around 150 facelift operations per year, performed at Acıbadem Kartal Hospital. He is a member of TSPRAS and ISAPS, and is registered with the Turkish Ministry of Health for international health tourism. Read his [full profile](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/about-us).

## References

- Hamra ST. Arcus marginalis release and orbital fat preservation in midface rejuvenation. *Plast Reconstr Surg.* 1995;96(2):354–362. [doi:10.1097/00006534-199508000-00014](https://doi.org/10.1097/00006534-199508000-00014)
- McCord CD, Codner MA, Hester TR. Redraping the inferior orbicularis arc. *Plast Reconstr Surg.* 1998;102(7):2471–2479. [doi:10.1097/00006534-199812000-00034](https://doi.org/10.1097/00006534-199812000-00034)
- Jacono AA, Bryant LM. Extended deep plane facelift: incorporating facial retaining ligament release and composite flap shifts to maximize midface, jawline and neck rejuvenation. *Clin Plast Surg.* 2018;45(4):527–554. [PMID 30268241](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30268241/)